When a woman is stabbed to death while jogging in Malmö’s main park, the Criminal Investigation Squad need to discover who she is before the case can properly get under way. Soon they realise the victim had flown in from Switzerland, and with links to important people in the city, she wasn’t everything she seemed.

Meanwhile, enjoying the hot summer away from Malmö, Anita Sundström is on her annual leave and is showing Kevin Ash the sights of Skåne. Their holiday is interrupted by the apparent suicide of a respected, retired diplomat. After a further death, Anita finds herself unofficially investigating a case that has its roots in the 1917 chance meeting of a Malmö waiter with the world’s most famous revolutionary. All she knows is that the answers lie in Berlin.

Two investigations that begin and end at Midnight in Malmö – the fourth Inspector Anita Sundström mystery.

My thoughts

I read Torquil MacLeod’s Anita Sundstrom series, a while back. I thought it was time to catch up with her. This is crime, with a lovely Swedish flavour and a British author. Seriously pleasurable crime. Midnight in Malmo is the fourth book in the series.

The story takes us to back to Malmo, Sweden. A jogger is stabbed to death in the park, near where Sundstrom lives. Fortunately Anita Sundstrom is on her holidays, with her English boyfriend, Kevin. She misses out on the action. Anita would probably not refer to Kevin as her boyfriend yet though. They are in the early stages of a relationship. We met DS Kevin Nash, in Missing in Malmo. The park murder is left to her keen sidekick, Hakim Mirza, and DCI Moberg to solve. Anita’s vacation with Kevin turns into a unofficial murder enquiry. Two of Anita’s close friends die in suspicious circumstances. One is a retired diplomat with some longstanding secrets to tell. Anita and Kevin are soon looking for answers in Germany, as well as Sweden. What they discover casts a light on Sweden’s neutral stance in the Cold War years.

This was my kind of read. Addictive and puzzling. As usual, MacLeod delivers the kind of novel that makes you want to grab your suitcase and head for the nearest airport to visit Sweden. I remembered exactly why I was addicted to this series. I really am fond of Anita. It is great being back in her world. I am now dying to get hold of the next in the series, A Malmo Midwinter.